#85B9FF
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(77.7% 0.115 256.1), rgb(133, 185, 255).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.38:1).
About this color
#85B9FF is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.115 and its hue 256°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.006 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.38:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.115) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 10.38:1 |
| White text | 2.02:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85B9FF |
| RGB | rgb(133, 185, 255) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 100%, 76%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.7% 0.115 256.1) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #85B9FF | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc -43.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #85B9FF | 10.38:1 | AAA | Lc 64.7 | Content text, not long reading |
| #85B9FF text on white | 2.02:1 | Fails | Lc 39.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #85B9FF text on black | 10.38:1 | AAA | Lc -63.2 | Content text, not long reading |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 300.
-
Step 50
50
#F0F6FF
oklch(97.1% 0.014 258.3)
-
Step 100
100
#DDEBFF
oklch(93.6% 0.031 257.2)
-
Step 200
200
#C1DBFF
oklch(88.4% 0.057 256.6)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#85B9FF
oklch(77.7% 0.115 256.1)
-
Step 400
400
#5BA2FF
oklch(70.8% 0.155 255.9)
-
Step 500
500
#1E86FF
oklch(63.1% 0.201 256.1)
-
Step 600
600
#006FDF
oklch(55.6% 0.191 256.1)
-
Step 700
700
#005DBD
oklch(49.1% 0.169 256.1)
-
Step 800
800
#004C9C
oklch(42.7% 0.146 256)
-
Step 900
900
#003F84
oklch(37.7% 0.129 256.1)
-
Step 950
950
#002552
oklch(27.1% 0.092 255.9)
#85B9FF with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #9EBDFF | 0.032 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8FB1FE | 0.022 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #4FC8D1 | 0.101 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B6B6B6 | 0.115 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85B9FF
#85B9FF
oklch(77.7% 0.115 256.1)
- #E0AC5D
#E0AC5D
oklch(77.7% 0.114 76.1)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #85B9FF, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.006
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.039
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.046
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.047
- Light Sky Blue #87CEFA ΔE 0.060
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.068
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.069
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.069
Use #85B9FF in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.